Offset Operation-Wire Medical Guidewire for In-Situ Curvature Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical wires require multiple guide wires with different bending stiffnesses to penetrate chronic total occlusion lesions, necessitating time-consuming insertion and removal processes and manual adjustment of curvature, which prolongs surgical procedures.
Innovation Solution
A medical wire design with a flexible tube and operation wire configuration that allows for adjustable bending stiffness and curvature control through a fixed operation wire offset and a support structure, enabling precise navigation and reduced need for wire exchanges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple guide wires with different bending stiffnesses are used to penetrate chronic total occlusion lesions, then the ability to navigate different vessel conditions is improved, but the surgical time is prolonged due to repeated insertion and removal operations
Solution Approach 1:
The guide wire incorporates a variable curvature section that can dynamically change its bending stiffness and curvature radius in response to operational forces. The curvature radius of the variable curvature section is smaller than the curvature radius of the constant curvature section, allowing the wire to adapt its shape and stiffness during the procedure without requiring multiple wire exchanges, thus reducing surgical time while maintaining navigability.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide wire features a nested structure where the operation wire is inserted into the flexible tube, and the variable curvature section is positioned within the constant curvature section. This nested configuration allows the inner operation wire to manipulate the outer flexible tube's shape, enabling curvature adjustment and stiffness variation without removing the guide wire from the vessel, thereby eliminating repeated insertion/removal operations.
2Measurement precision
If manual curvature adjustment of the guide wire front end is performed outside the body to select blood vessels at bifurcation portions, then navigation precision is improved, but the surgical time is increased due to the need for fine adjustments and wire exchanges
Solution Approach 1:
The guide wire's variable curvature section can autonomously adjust its shape in response to forces applied through the operation wire, eliminating the need for manual curvature adjustment outside the body. The operator can control the curvature changes by manipulating the operation wire, allowing real-time navigation adjustments within the vessel without removing the guide wire for external reconfiguration.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide wire is pre-configured with both constant curvature and variable curvature sections, where the variable curvature section is designed to be more compliant and easier to manipulate. This preliminary design allows the operator to make navigation adjustments by simply applying force through the operation wire, rather than requiring external manual shaping, thus reducing the time needed for vessel selection at bifurcation portions.
3Ease of operation
If guide wires are repeatedly inserted and removed from the blood vessel for curvature adjustment, then the ability to optimize navigation is improved, but the complexity of the procedure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guide wire integrates multiple functions into a single device: the constant curvature section provides structural support and pushability, while the variable curvature section enables flexible navigation and shape adjustment. The operation wire can control the variable curvature section to adapt to different navigation needs, making one guide wire capable of performing the functions previously requiring multiple different wires, thus simplifying the overall procedure.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide wire transitions from a static structure to a dynamic one where the variable curvature section can change its shape and stiffness in real-time based on operational needs. This dynamic capability allows the single guide wire to optimize navigation for different vessel conditions without requiring repeated insertion and removal of different wires, reducing procedural complexity while maintaining ease of operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A medical wire includes a first flexible tube that extends in a front-rear direction and is formed to be bendable, an operation wire that extends in a front-rear direction and is inserted into the first flexible tube, and a support that is fixed to a rear end portion of the first flexible tube, in which a front end portion of the operation wire is fixed to a front end portion of the first flexible tube while being separated from a central axis of the first flexible tube in one direction in a radial direction.